Apparel-buckle.



B. F. OREWILER.'

APPAREL BUCKLE.

APPLICATION man MAR, 2o. 1915.

Patented July 18, 1916.

To all whom z5-may concern:

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ORWILER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPAREL-BUCKLE.

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OREWILER, a citizen `of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparel- Buckles, of which the following is a specification. l j

My invention relates to improvements in apparelv buckles, for use in connection with Suspenders, garters, and the like.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a buckle that will co-act efiiciently with either thick or thin webbing so that no variation in the metallic frameand-lever .structure .need be made in the manufacture of buckles to accommodate different weights or thicknesses of webbinO.

further particular object of my invention is to provide a buckle in which the compensation for variations in web thickness is automatic.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rustless7 buckle that will be simple and cheap of construction, durable and eiiicient in use, and flat and thin in design.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated embodiments of my inventionFigure 1 illustrates, in detached relation, parts of the buckle, intended for coperation, these beingthe frame and lever, and the tip attached to the web-end. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same parts looking from the right. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the web partly threaded through the frame. Fig. 4

vis a central vertical section showing the operation of the buckle in vconnection with relatively thin webbing. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the buckle in coperation with relatively thick webbing. Fig. 6 is a front view with parts broken away showing the completed buckle arrangement. Fig. 7 shows, in detached relation, the parts of a modified structure. Fig. 8 is a side view of thel modified frame. Fig. 9 shows in vertical section the structure of the complete buckle so modified.

In the drawings 10 indicates in general a fabric web, having its extremity reinforced by a metallic. tip 11 that is folded overnthe end of the web and is secured thereon as by indentations, in the usual fashion.' The tip is a thin ,rigidi strip of metal, equal in width tothe webbing, and its inner edge or bearing edge is preferably Specication of Letters Patent.

4terposed webbing.

- Patented. Julyis', 191e.

Application filed March 20, 1915. Serial No. 15,719.

straight across the web, shown at I 12. VVlth this tip, and the web, there coacts the clasp-device 13, that consists of a frame 14 and an operating lever 15.y n Y The frame V111, preferably made of a single plece of stiff wire, provides a pivot bar 17, preferably solid, vthat extends-horizontally for approximately vthe width of the webbing, this bar connecting, through bends 18, with ,two short inturned shoulders 19 that may act' as web guide bearings and that locate ,A

the bottom of the web-guidespace or upper opening a ofthe frame. Beyond each of these shoulders the single wire of the frame is bent down into a short vertical upper arm 20, preferably turning at thel elbow 21 into a horizontal lower arm 22 that marks the bottom of the narrower tip-lock space7 or lower opening Z) of the frame. The opposed arms 20-22 preferably spaced apart at their adjacent ends 23, form a lateral bearingagainst which the tip 11v may act and various wire-configurations to give such lateral bearing for the tip may be employed. Preferably, the tip, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, is provided with a central-hook 25 extending from its folded, or outer edge back beyond and in parallelism withits lateral bearing face, soas snugly to receive the ends 23 of the arms.

The clasp-lever structure 15 may be of lany suitable construction toprovide pivot vthe webbing. The bar 29 may be effectively vshorter than the space between shoulders 19,

and effectively narrower than the space `between arms 22 and the bar 17, so that the bar 29 could not effect a web-clamping action in coperation with only the frame, in the absence of the web-tip.` Thus,in a construction as above described the operativeness of the device is dependent'upon the coperation of the pressurebar 29 ofthe leverV and the metallic tip llof the fabric through the inj-In preparing Vthe structure for use, the

,tipped webbing is rst applied'to the frame asshown in Fig. 3, the hook 25 being turned .toward fthe rear of the fbuckle .frame and tween them the webbing tip and the frame arms, and the suspending web-portion 33 1s led'through the buckle loop from front to back beneath the clamp lever. Of course, the downward pull on the buckle is exerted at the bottom of the loop 30, and in suspender construction, for instance, the usual Y sliding loop 34 and the suspender tabs 35 exert the pulling strain on the loop. Downward pull on the pulling loop 30 of course tends to draw the tipped end of the fabric web to highest position, as shown in Fig. 4, where the arms 22 substantially reach the bottom of the hook 25 of the tip 11 and thev bearing edge 12 of the tip is near the top of the'tip-lock space b of the frame. The

upward pull on the tip 11, transmitted to it by the course of the fabric that bends around the shoulders 19, strongly upholds the tip to act as pressure-receiving bar at its upper or inner edge. Accordingly, when the lever 15 is pressed down on the suspending course of the webbing, its pressure bar 29, passing to a position substantially above or just beyond the tip 11, acts in opposition to VVthe tip in the space b between the shoulders 19 and above the arms 22, so that the suspending course of the web is clamped as indicated at 38, between the pressure bar and the tip. It will be observed that the sides or borders of the web are always .positioned by shoulders 19, but with a narrow pressure Vbar 29 as shown, working in the free space between said shoulders, the portion of the web acted on by th-e pressure bar may be lowered materially below the portion of the web thatl is positioned by the shoulders 19. Therefore it will be apparent that, (as is graphically illustrated in Fig. 5) when a thick web is employed, (within any limit that the space a will accommodate), the structure will automatically adjust itself to the new conditions, because application of pressure through the bar 29 of lever 15 will force the tip downward as shown in Fig. 5 to a lower level. The tip-hook 25, loosely' engaging the arms 22, permits such self adjusting movement, but always holds the bottom of the tip from tilting outwardly.

, Y As is shown in Figs. 7 to 9 the hook 25 or tip 11 may, if desired, be dispensed with, and the construction accordingly modified. In the structures shown in Figs. 7 to 9 the tip 11Y on the fabric web 10 is made plain, and the frame loop structure, otherwise formed substantially as heretofore described, is provided with short upturned n ngers 28 to give central. bearing to the tip, but without hook-'engagement therewith. I preferto use the hook, however, to hold the tip flat against the lateral bearing afforded by the bent arms 20-22 and to obviate any possibility of the tip tilting outwardly at its bottom or folded "edge under the pulling strain of the webbing that passes over the shoulders 19 or under the pressure of the pressure bar 29 of the lever 15.

While I have herein described in some detail particular embodiments of my invention it will be apparent to those skilled in position to the tip through. the interposed web, whereby the tip takes its pressure-opposing position according to web-thickness and coacts with the pressure member to clamp the suspension course of the web.

2. The combination of a frame, a locking lever pivoted thereto, and a tipped web, said web passing through the frame to form a pulling loop and a suspending course and yieldingl'y to locate the tip below the fabric of the suspending course, said lever having an edge coacting with the tip through said suspending course and positioning the yieldingly supported tip automatically in accordance with the web-thickness; and said frame having its lower portion disposed to afford supporting bearing for the web, and lateral bearing for the tip, and to leave the pressure-edge of the lever unopposed by said frame.

3.` In a structure of the character described, the combination of a frame, providing separated shoulders, 'a hinge-bar portion thereabove, and portions therebelow to form a lateral abutment, of a tipped web passed through said frame from front to back over said shoulders to locate said tip against the lateral abutment, said web doubled below the frame to form a pulling loop and passed back through the frame above said shoulders to constitute the suspending web, and lever means hinged onsaid frame-bar-portion and having a pressure bar, effectively shorter than the space between the shoulders and free from clamping coaction with the frame, acting 1n opposition to the web tip between the shoulders, thereby to clamp the suspending course of fabric between the tip and the lever means.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a frame, providing shoulders spaced apart for web-guidance and arms below the shoulders making lateral abutment for a tip, of a web having a metallic tip provided with a hook to engage said arms, and a lever hinged to the frame above said shoulders and having a pressurepart for coaction with the tip through the interposed webbing and between the shoulders.

5. In a rustless buckle, a frame providing a hinge-bar part, spaced shoulders therebelow defining a web-guide space, and arms below the shoulders, for lateral bearing; a lever hinged to said hinge-bar part and having a pressure-edge effectively narrower than the space between the shoulders, and effectively less deep than the distance to the arms and a tipped web having its tip disposed to oppose the pressure edge of the lever and to abut laterally against said arms, said web being passed over said shoulders, looped below the buckle, and passed between the tip and the pressure edge, whereby the clamping action of the pressure edge is opposed solely to the tip, which is self-adjustable to compensate for the thickness of the web.

6. In a rustless buckle, a frame providing a hinge-bar part, and web-guide shoulders spaced apart; a lever hinged to said hinge bar part `and having a pressure edge effectively narrower than the spacing of said guide shoulders, whereby said pressure edge is free from web-clamping'coaction with the frame and a tipped web passed over the guide shoulders, looped below the buckle and passed between the tip and the pressure edge, whereby said tip, self-located in vertical adjustment according to the thickness of the web, alone opposes the pressure edge to clamp between said parts the suspending course of the web.

7 In a buckle, the combination of a frame having a hinge bar, a transverse arm therebelow, a locking lever, and a tipped web, said web tip having a hook for engagement with the frame-arm.

8. In a rustless buckle, a frame providing a hinge bar, spaced shoulders therebelow and arms below the shoulders; a pressure lever hinged to the frame, and a tipped web having its tip disposed to oppose the pressure lever, said web being passed over the shoulders, looped below the frame, and passed between the tip and pressure lever, and said tip having a hook for vertically sliding engagement with the frame-arms.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OREWILER.

In the presence of- MARY F. ALLEN, STANLEY W. Cook.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, D. C. 

